Fountain pen of the pump type



Jan. 15, 1957 E. B. BLOCKERT ET AL 2,777,423

FOUNTAIN PEN 0F THE PUMP TYPE original Filed sept. 12, 1949 Eind! NX Wm, @MMM lNvaNToas,

ERNEST mmm er ANTHONY MAmNo j BY ATTORNEY FOUNTAIN PEN F PUMP TYPE Ernest B. Blockert, New York, and Anthony Marino, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Hired States Patent() original application september 12, 1949, serial No. ,l

3 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-50) This invention relatesv to fountain pens and, more particularly hooded fountain pens of the pump or sacless type.

This application is a division of application, Serial No. 115,284, filed September 12, 1949, patented on August 8, 1953, Patent No. 2,649,075.

An object of the invention is to 'provide a fountain pen of the character described, in which the possibility of ink drying out at the nib of the pen, or of weeping is entirely eliminated, even though the cap is removed for a considerable length of time, so that the pen will write immediately. Another object of they invention is to provide a fountain pen as described which will have a constant unbroken ink flow and will not lose or drop ink when the ink supply gets low.

For the attainment of the foregoing and such other objects of invention as may appear or be pointed out herein we have shown a preferred embodiment of our invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

v Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the entire pen (in considerably enlarged scale);

Fig. 2 is a full view of the pen of Fig. 1 exploded into its three main parts, viz, cap, pen proper, and barrel (in somewhat reduced scale compared'to Fig. 1);

Fig. 3 is a full view of the pen proper of'Fig. 2 itself further exploded into its three parts, viz, 'the pen section, ink cylinder, and pump;

Fig. 4`is a full view of the pen section of Fig. 3 itself further exploded into its component parts; v

Fig. 5 is a cross-section at the nib end,- of the vpen on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 6 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale, taken through the feed, at line 6- 6 of Fig.

Referring to Fig. 2, the improved pen comprises three parts, viz, the pen proper designated A, the cap C and the barrel B. vCap C may be frictionally held to the less than that of bore 13 is frictionally fitted into bore 13. The forward (left), or nib end of feed 30 is curved or shaped as shown at 31.

The diameter of nib mouth 12 of section 10 being somewhat larger than that of feed 30, an annular space (designated 32, Figs. 1 and 5) is provided between feed 30 and the section 10, in the upper half of which is received the pen nib 2. The left or nib end of section 10 is curved or tapered as shown at 15, so that this and the curved end 31 of the feed 36 give the customary appearance to the hooded pen or nib. v

Feed 30 is provided with a central blind passage 33, (and which will be subsequently described). At the open (right) end of blind passage 33 of feed 30 is force ttedone end of a breather 40, which is a length of tube having an inner bore 43. The upper part--i. e. opposite curved portion 31-of feed 30 has a channel 34 which extends from a joint close to the nib (left) end thereof to the right or open end of the feed. A hole 35 is provided in feed 3th at a point in the vicinity of the end of nib 2, see Fig. 3, and communicates between channel 34 and inner passage 33.

In filling the pen, manipulation of a pump (later fully described) at the right end of ink cylinder 20 will create a suction therein to cause ink to be drawn into ink cylinder 20 via the following path: annular space 32 between section 1l) and feed 3ft, channel 34 of the latter, its pump hole 35, central passage 33 of feed 30 and central bore 43 of breather 40.

For an explanation of the operation of the pen, we Will assume that the reservoir contains an adequate amount of ink for writing. When the pen is in writing position, the ink will owdown by gravity and air pressure in the reservoir behind the supply of ink, into'channel 34 and to the fissures 1, 1 of channel 34. In this action holes 35 and 36`function in the manner of equalizers. Ink has now reached the pen nib 2 and enters thehole in the pen nib and thence passes into the slit of the pen nib. When pressure is applied to the pennibV during the act of writing, the slit opens slightly causing the. ink

to ilow .smoothly to the tip of the pen nib assuringja` nib end of the pen (as shown) or may be screwed thereon. The barrel, 9, is provided with internal screw threads 8 which engage threads 18 externally provided on pen section 10. `Barrel 9 may be readily unscrewed from section 10 for the ink-filling operation (as will be more fully described subsequently).

The right end of the pen section`10 (as lviewed in Fig. 3) is hollowed to provide a mouth 11. The left (open) end of the ink cylinder 20 is reduced at 21 and this end of cylinder 20 is force fitted into mouth 11 of pen section 10. Ink cylinder Z0 is made of transparent ruaterial, such as glass, Lucite plastic or the like, so that the ink therein will be clearly visible.k Ink cylinder 20 has exterior grip-threads, to hold' the pen firmly during the pumping operation.

The other or nib end of section 10 is also hollowed to provide a nib mouth 12. Between the two mouths 11, 12, section 10 has a central bore 13, the diameter of which is somewhat less than that of nib mouth 12, so that an annular shoulder 14, is provided at the bottom of nib mouth 12. A feed 30 of a `diameter somewhat continuous flow of ink. The strip 44 of thin metal in the inner bore 43 ofthe breather 40 breaks up, any lair bub*l bles, or air pockets, which may form within'the blind passage 33 of feed 30 so that there is a continuousink W into the channel 34 through holes 35, 36. Holes 35, 36 are for lling purposes and exclusivelyforfdrawing ink and feeding ink into channel 34 to equalize the flow of the ink when the pen is in writing position. Hole 46located in feed 30 acts exclusively to supply `air'to, channel 34 and blind passage 53, since the hole in the pen nib 2 is covered by the pen section 10.

Operation of the pump to till the pen is described in Patent No. 2,649,075.

The ink gushes out of the top of breather 40.. To prevent any of this ink from splashing into thev pumpl section, there is provided a dellector 26. As clearly seen in Fig. 4deflector 26 is formed of a single narrow strip of thin metal in V-shape to present foldedr legs 25 at the ends of which are outwardly turned portions 24, 24. The folded legs 2'5v of the deliector are frictionally held in the end of inner bore 43, Fig. l, withv its pair of outwardly turned portions 24, 24 spaced aboveVv thatl end of the breather 4i). The ink gushingr from the breather 40 is deliected by portions 24, 24, away from the pump end of ink cylinder 2li.

It is also for this reason-i. e., to keep ink out of the pump sectionthat the valve unit 29-37-6 is given a limited (inward) movement, as described above. If the valve unit were moved downwardly within range of the breather 40 (or its deector 26), it would be found that ink frequently is deposited upon the valve disc 29 and that this ink, when lthe valve unit approaches its closing position, will be sucked into the pump cylinder. Hence, annular ledge 23 -has been provided to stop the valve disc at a `sufficient distance away from the discharge end of breather 40. Also the annular ledge '23 helps to keep ink out of the pump.

At the end of the return or suction stroke (rightward, as shown) of the plunger, valve disc 29, or rather its gasket 4, is brought tight against the flat surface -of the end of plug 49, thus providing an inkand air-tight seal, more eifective than ball valves heretofore used for this purpose.

Within the blind passage `33, feed 30 is provided with a narrow strip `44 of thin metal, one end of which has a hook 45. The lhooked end 45 of strip 44 is frictionally engaged 4in the closed end of Iblind passage 33, Fig. 1, with the other end extending beyond feed 30 and into inner bore 43 of breather 40. The function -of metal strip 44 is to break up `any air bubbles yor air pockets which may form within the blind passage 33 of feed 30.

There was already mentioned one hole, viz. 35, in feed 30, which 4extends from channel 34 `-to `inner or blind passage 33. As already explained, hole 35 functions in the ink filling operation by providing a communication between channel 34 and blind `passage 33. Feed 3l) has two other holes, 36, 46, Fig. 1 which, for convenience in manufacture, are shown as aligned with one another.

Holes 36, 46 are close to the blind (leftward) end of inner `passage 33 and both holes communicate therewith, hole 36 extending from channel 34 to inner blind passage 33 to the bottom of feed 30 (diametrically opposed to channel 34). Holes 36 and 46 perform different functions, which will now be explained.

Before explaining the purpose of upper -hole 36, it should be pointed out that channel 34 of feed 30 is -not completely filled with ink during writing. On the `contrary, ink should flow to the pen nib only along the bottom of channel 34, Fig. 6, or, at least, along a corner or side of the channel. In the improved pen, two tine cuts 1, 1, Fig. 13, are provided at both corners of channel 34. The purpose of these cuts or fissures 1, 1, is to break up the formation of air bubbles and to improve ink flow.

The purposes of upper hole 36 is to get air into the channel 34, so that ink flow will be confined to the iis sures 1, 1 of the channel, Fig. 13. In this, the upper hole 36 functions in the manner of an equalizen Air reaches upper hole 36 through lower hole 46 which is in communication with the annular space 32 Fig. 5, between feed 30 and pen section 10.

The purpose of 'lower hole 46 is to prevent so-called weeping, which is a common objection to hooded-type fountain pens, `to which the instant invention pertains. In hooded pens, ink is retained in the annular space 32, Figs. 5 and 1, between feed 30 and pen section 10, by capillary action. If the cap of the pen is placed in closing position over the pen nib for a short period of time, and is then removed, it will be found that a drop of ink will have been formed at the end of the pen. The provisions of the lower hole 46 (and the aforesaid metal strip 44) cooperate to prevent the formation of such drops or weeping I'nk is held in the said annular space 32 of the irnproved ypen (by capillary action) as in the case of other hooded pens, but the placing on, and removal of, the cap will not cause weeping, leaking or sweating. As

already described, the function of metal strip 44 is to break up any air pockets within the inner blind passage 33, so that there will be a rcontinuity or solidity of ink unbroken by air pockets, at this point, i. e., at the blind or closed end of passage 33. The lower hole 46, in providing communication between annular space 32 and inner passage 33 of the feed at this point, thus assures that there will be a solidity or continuity of ink at 32, 33. That is, the `ink in annular space 32 is now made part of, and continues with, the ink in blind passage 33. Any tendency of the ink in `annular space 32 to break up and form into a `drop -or tear" is prevented by the 4mutual attraction ofthe `ink in the mass which occupies space 32, hole 46 and passage 33.

We claim:

l. In a fountain pen `of the `class described, in combination, a pen section having a mouth at one end and a central bore of somewhat smaller diameter, thus presenting an annular shoulder at said mouth, a channel feed having parallel longitudinal ssures, said feed frictionally held in thecentral bore of the pen section with one end extending into the said mouth, thereof, a pen nib frictionally held in the upper part of the annular space between the section mouth and the said feed, having the :lower annular spaceunoccupied, said channel feed having fa blind passage inside of said feed and `open at one end thereof but closed at a point near the nib end of the feed, said feed further having a channel in its upper part extending from the end of the feed opposite said pen section to a point in underlying relation to the pen nib, the feed having two ink holes and one air hole providing communication between its said channel and its said blind passage, a narrow strip of thin flexible metal extending in said blind passage of the feed, one end yof said strip terminating at said closed end of the blind passage and its opposite end extending somewhat beyond the opposite end of said feed, the end of said narrow strip of thin metal being hook-shaped to be frictionally held in the blind passage of said feed, a breather tube one end of which is frictionally held in the open end of the 'blind passage of the feed, the other end Vof said metal strip extending into said breather tube, and a deflector at the other end of said breather tube.

2. The said feed as set Vforth in claim 1, said air `hole being near said closed end of `its blind passage providing communication between its said channel and the blind passage, said hole serving to admit air to the channel to hold ink therein and confine the same to the bottom of the channel.

3. The said feed as set forth in claim 1, said air hole being near said closed end of -its blind passage providing communication between said blind passage and the said lower annular space in the mouth of the pen section, to provide air into said channel and said blind passage.

References Cited in the tile of this `patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 353,053 Demerest Nov. 23, 1886 706,140 Wirt Aug. 5, 1902 1,908,384 Vivian May 9, 1933 2,129,134 Johnson Sept. 6, 1938 2,158,615 Wright May 16, 1939 2,255,093 Ziegler Sept. 9, 1941 2,343,991 Mohns Mar. 14, 1944 2,417,861 Dahlberg Mar. 25, 1947 2,649,075 Blocker't Aug. 18, 1953 

